1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to wound care, and more specifically, but not by way of limitation, to apparatuses and methods for minimizing wound dehiscence, scar spread, and/or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Wound dehiscence may be a relatively common surgical complication and typically occurs when a closed surgical incision breaks open or splits. For example, in a typical healing process, sutures or closures surrounding and/or closing a wound stay intact while new tissue (e.g., granulation tissue) forms between and/or across the wound edges. However, when wound dehiscence occurs, the wound edges can separate, and the wound can open or split along the sutures or closures. In the event of wound dehiscence, further surgical treatment is generally required (e.g., to treat and reclose the wound). Patients who are diabetic, obese, aged, and/or the like, or patients with relatively large or wide incisions, such as elliptical incisions, may be at an increased risk of wound dehiscence.
To mitigate the risk of wound dehiscence, some surgeons may attempt to pucker the skin around the wound during suturing. However, as the wound heals and a scar forms, the puckered and/or scar tissue may begin to flatten and spread (e.g., due to the relatively low tensile strength of such tissue).
Generally, scar spread results when a post-surgical scar widens over time. Scar tissue in high-tension areas, such as on a patient's back, shoulders, thighs, and/or the like, can be at an increased risk of spreading. Scar spread can occur long after a wound has healed, and in some instances, may not manifest until weeks or months after a wound has healed and/or the patient has completed follow-up treatments.
Although the skin and scar typically remain intact during scar spread, scar spread is nevertheless a serious dermatological problem. For example, large scars (e.g., due at least in part to size and/or appearance) are a common complaint of patients and may lead to patient dissatisfaction and distrust in the treating clinician.
Current devices designed to minimize wound dehiscence and/or scar spread can include sterile strips or skin adhesive. However, these devices can impose limitations for both the patient and the clinician. For example, a clinician may not be able to adequately examine, clean, and/or treat the wound during healing without removing the sterile strips or skin adhesive, and once these devices are removed, they must typically be disposed of and replaced. Additionally, these devices may hinder other wound treatments, such as the application of medicaments (e.g., antibiotics or therapeutics) to the wound.
Examples of wound enclosures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,695.